Maria Sharapova plays beach tennis as she misses Rio 2016 Olympics due to two-year drugs ban

MARIA SHARAPOVA plays tennis on the beach - as she serves a two-year ban for doping.

The Russian will not be in the Rio Olympics but took time out with friends to show she can still handle a racquet with style while relaxing in California.

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Former world No 1 Sharapova won silver in the singles at London 2012.

But the 29-year-old career Grand Slam winner will not get the chance to improve on that after her appeal against the ban was pushed back.

Sharapova admitted in March she had made a "huge mistake" after being caught using meldonium.

And now the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland has knocked back her appeal against what she called the "unfairly harsh" punishment.

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The 2004 Wimbledon champ has been keeping busy in other ways since her drugs exposure.

She finished a two-week business course at esteemed Harvard University in Boston, US, earlier this summer and did two weeks' work experience at advertising agency VCCP in London.

Sharapova is clearly interested on boosting her candy-selling Sugarpova brand after major backers Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche all suspended ties with her.

And she is not the only big name to be missing Rio.

Roger Federer is out with a knee injury and other stars of the women's game including Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep will not compete.